Advanced planning.... ;)

[Antsmomma]

Hi, Im so glad I found this forum!
Im in the beginning stages of planning a mammoth 5 week trip over the summer in 2019, starting in New York, and wandering across the US.
Places we hope to visit include Philadelphia, Texas, Florida, The West Coast, Vegas, the Grand Canyon, several national parks, San Fransisco, the list is endless!
Obviously not necessarily in that order, and we're not adverse to jumping on planes to see some bits that may not fit in a classic road trip.
Then theres the vehicle. Obviously renting an RV is a plan, or a truck and a caravan type thing (don't know if you have caravans in the States!!)
Are there rental companies that have branches all over the States, so we could drive to one part, then maybe fly somewhere else and pick up another RV?
I've got quite a few books about US road trips, and we've got a big paper map that we're sticking pins in :)
So I shall be wandering around this site for the next couple of years, jotting down ideas and getting my plan on!
Looking forward to getting lots of good ideas.

[Midwest Michael]

Welcome to the RTA Forum!

There are a few different national RV companies. Cruise America and El Monte are two of the biggest, although they are not the only ones. For the smaller "caravan" type RVs, those are more rare, and the only national company I'm aware of that offers them is Escape Campervans, but other forum visitors have been happy with them.

Keep in mind, however, that one way rentals of any car or RV are going to mean extra one-way drop fees, and those fees can get quite expensive. That would be the big potential problem of doing a mix of flying and driving. With 5 weeks, you could go one way across the country and drive the whole thing, one way, pretty comfortably. If you do split it up, you might consider doing a pair of loops, where you start and end in one city in the east, fly west, and then start and end in that city again.

Also remember that RVs are not the only way to do a roadtrip, and they are not the cheapest way to do a trip. They are usually more expensive than cars/motels, and if you plan to spend a lot of time in cities, then they can be a challenge to operate and find camping. However, if you are spending a lot of time in National Parks and other natural areas, they can be a great lifestyle choice that can add to the enjoyment of your trip.

[AZBuck]

Welcome aboard the RoadTrip America Forums!

In America, the generic term for what you're looking for is 'RV' or Recreational Vehicle. There are three basic classes (A, B, and C; but they go in size from smallest to largest: B, C, A.) You're best bets for finding RV rentals with nation-wide service centers would be to go with one of the larger companies such as Cruise America and El Monte, or the somewhat smaller USA RV Rentals.

With five weeks, you'll have plenty of time to see quite a lot of America without the added expense of internal fights and multiple one-way drop-off fees on a string of RVs. I'd encourage you to have a basic plan where you do a loop around America which would help minimize your costs while maximizing the number of places you get to actually visit rather than just fly over.

Let us know as your plans progress and you need more specific recommendations.

AZBuck